New records of marine Tardigrada in the Mediterranean Sea

Abstract Meiofauna from Chafarinas archipelago (western Mediterranean, N. Africa) were studied, and marine Tardigrada were identified to species level. A total of 15 species, belonging to families Stygarctidae, Halechiniscidae (Subfamilies Halechiniscinae, Florarctinae, Styraconyxinae and Tanarctinae), Batillipedidae, and Echiniscoididae, were found for the first time from the Alboran Sea and southwestern Mediterranean area. Four species and one subspecies are new records for the Mediterranean Sea: Floractus acer , F. asper , F. stellatus , Actinarctus doryphorus and Echiniscoides sigismundi hispaniensis . The male of Floractus stellatus , previously unknown to science, is described. Many s…